Wednesday 13th July 2016 was the best yet toughest day of our lives... The best day because we became a Mummy and Daddy to our gorgeous little girl, Erin. Yet the toughest day because Erin wasn't breathing when she was born.... 

Erin didn't arrive kicking and screaming into this world - and Steve and I didn't ever get the chance to sit there and admire how gorgeous our little girl was; count her fingers and toes and share thoughts on who we thought she resembled. Instead we had to watch as she was whisked away into neonatal intensive care where the doctors fought to save her life. 

Erin was starved of oxygen when she was born. When this happens, the body shuts the organs down, one by one, to try and protect the brain from cell damage. To help suppress further damage, a cooling mat system has recently been developed, and luckily for us Erin was able to receive this treatment. This meant Erin's first journey, when she was just a few hours old, was her being blue lighted to Oldham hospital where she was placed on the cooling mat for 72 hours. 

The mat reduced Erin's body temperature to 33 degrees - mild hyperthermia. Doctors are not exactly sure why the cooling mat has so much success, but it is believed to slow down the metabolism, reducing the after-shocks of the birth trauma, giving the brain time to recover. 

The cooling system is just one example of a fantastic breakthrough by child research companies such as Sparks and this is the charity we have chosen to raise money for. 

Erin is nine months old now and brightens our world every single day with her amazing courage and feisty personality. She still has a long and uncertain road ahead of her, but without research charities such as Sparks, who knows how different our story would have been... 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page